Stationary fire extinguishing systems are basically known. The essential function of such fire extinguishing systems is monitoring rooms or entire buildings for the occurrence of a risk of fire. When registering the occurrence of a fire the know fire extinguishing systems are adapted to deliver extinguishing agents such as for example an extinguishing fluid from an extinguishing fluid source through a suitably designed distribution network to the location of the risk of fire or the actual fire and there discharge it from suitably designed extinguishing fluid nozzles. In that respect there are various possible options in terms of the structure of the extinguishing fluid nozzles themselves. An essential endeavour in terms of parametrisation of such extinguishing systems is the targeted discharge, with the greatest possible effectiveness, of the extinguishing fluid in the direction of the seat of the fire. In most cases the seats of fires are where the greatest risk of a fire occurring has also already been previously assumed to be the case so that most extinguishing nozzles have further directing means to discharge extinguishing fluid on to such potential sources of fire in targeted fashion.
Particular but not exclusive focus of the disclosure was on fire extinguishing systems with extinguishing fluids like for example carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen or mixtures of the above-mentioned gases, and with chemical extinguishing fluids like for example HFC 227ea or FK5-1-12. When using such extinguishing fluids, it is important for the extinguishing process to succeed that distribution of the extinguishing fluid occurs in accordance with the geometry of the protected area. Besides the geometrical orientation of the nozzles however the amount of extinguishing agent discharged by the nozzles is also an important matter. The specific flow quantity of the extinguishing fluid discharged from each nozzle is usually adapted to the respective situation of use, insofar as disposed in a flow path in the interior of the extinguishing nozzles are aperture openings in the form of bores of reduced size (in comparison with the other internal cross-section in the fluid path of the nozzle body). Nozzle types are also known, in which annular aperture members are installed.
A fire extinguishing system by way of example having an extinguishing agent nozzle in which an annular aperture has been installed is shown in DE 44 39 798 C2.
DE 24 55 364 A1 discloses a sprinkler installation with a plurality of sprinklers at differing heights, wherein throttle apertures are arranged at least in some branch pipes of the sprinkler installation or at the inlets thereof upstream of the sprinklers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,918,933 A discloses a throttle for flow limitation or volume limitation in a line portion, in which a grip portion extends outwardly from a fitment, with which the flow limitation can be adjusted by means of a screw thread.
DE 43 42 912 A1 discloses a spray head with a housing which has a connection for the water feed and in which is disposed a carrier element carrying a spray plate with water outlet nozzles, wherein provided on the carrier element is a throttle body cooperating with a tubular valve member for determining the quantitative through-flow rate per unit of time. The valve member there is in the form of a sleeve and is arranged displaceably in the housing with an adjusting device, wherein the downstream-disposed region is of an enlarged configuration so that the inside diameter of the enlarged region corresponds to the outside diameter of the region of the sleeve, that is mounted in the housing.
WO 2007/073390 A1 discloses a pressure relief valve for pressurised gas for suppressing fire, which operates in a two-stage self-regulating mode. The valve includes a valve body, a plunger and a plug, as well as a valve actuator and a plunger actuator. The plunger is moveable within the valve housing along an axis between a first and a second position. The plug is moveable within the valve body along that axis between a closed valve position, a partly opened position and a completely opened position. The valve actuator makes it possible for the plug to move from the closed into the partially opened position. The plunger actuator moves the plunger from the first position into the second position when a gas pressure in the gas cylinder remains below a reference value. When the plunger moves into the second position the plunger enables the plug to change from the partly opened position into the completely opened position.
The known fire extinguishing systems are frequently used in buildings in which the space conditions change in the course of time, for example because installations disposed in the rooms or storage articles are put into store, changed or removed. It can also happen that parts of the fire extinguishing system are updated and modified, for example in regard also to the extinguishing agents used. In such cases adaptation of the extinguishing fluid nozzles is also required, which in the known systems takes up a great deal of time and is linked to structural involvement. That has proven to be a disadvantage. A further disadvantage encountered in the state of the art is that, after fitment of an aperture into a nozzle, whether by installing an aperture ring or by introducing one or more aperture bores, it is subsequently no longer readily possible to ascertain the inside diameter of the aperture. The result of this for example can be that nozzles have to be removed and re-fitted, the removal of which would not have been at all necessary, because the aperture diameter was appropriate to the new purpose of use. Likewise it can happen that nozzles are not removed and replaced by fresh nozzles, although the aperture diameter in the nozzles is no longer suitable for the new purpose of use.
Therefore the object of the disclosure is to improve an extinguishing fluid nozzle system of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, such that adaptation of the system to changing conditions of use is simplified.
The aperture has a grip portion which is fixedly connected to the aperture ring and which extends outwardly from the aperture ring and which in the fitted condition of the aperture extends outside the extinguishing fluid nozzle. That grip portion provided on the aperture ensures that, even when the aperture is installed in the extinguishing fluid nozzle, it is still possible to see from the exterior what kind of an aperture is fitted as the grip portion is visible from the exterior. It is now readily possible for the grip portion to be provided with an identification element for a characteristic feature like for example the respectively associated inside diameter of the aperture. In that way the risk of incorrect associations of given aperture sizes for the respective purpose of use of the extinguishing fluid nozzle is markedly minimised.
In accordance with a particularly preferred development of the disclosure the extinguishing fluid nozzle has an introduction opening passing therethrough for receiving the aperture, wherein the introduction opening extends from an inside of the extinguishing fluid nozzle to an outside at the periphery of the extinguishing fluid nozzle. In that way it is possible for the extinguishing fluid nozzle to be equipped with an aperture through the introduction opening or for an aperture to be removed from the extinguishing fluid nozzle through the introduction opening without the entire extinguishing fluid nozzle having to be removed from its location of use, and this entails a significant reduction in the fitment complication and expenditure and thus a saving of time upon first assembly, in maintenance of such extinguishing fluid nozzle systems.
In a particularly preferred embodiment according to the disclosure the dimensions of the introduction opening correspond to the dimensions of an introduction portion of the grip portion of the aperture, which introduction portion extends in the fitted condition through the introduction opening. That ensures that the aperture sits with a small amount of play and preferably in play-free fashion with its introduction portion in the introduction opening and no unwanted loosening or shifting of the aperture in the extinguishing fluid nozzle occurs.
In a further preferred embodiment of the disclosure the introduction opening extends sideways at an angle relative to a longitudinal direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle, preferably transversely relative to the longitudinal direction. Preferably in that case the inside dimensions of the introduction opening are matched to the outside dimensions of the aperture ring and the introduction portion such that the aperture can be introduced sideways into the extinguishing fluid nozzle by being pushed and can be removed sideways from same by being pulled. In other words the aperture is pushed into or pulled out of the extinguishing fluid nozzle with a guillotine-like movement from the side, which involves particularly simple handling when changing the aperture.
In an alternative preferred embodiment of the disclosure the introduction opening extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the extinguishing fluid nozzle as far as an end of that body in which it is fitted, being therefore for example the main body or the nozzle body. In this embodiment therefore the introduction opening is “open” towards one side in the longitudinal direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle. In that respect it is preferred if the width of the introduction portion of the aperture transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle is less than the width of the aperture ring transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle. In other words the introduction portion in the transverse direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle is narrower than the aperture ring accommodated in the extinguishing fluid nozzle. In other words the introduction opening is preferably in the form of a slot open at one side in the manner of a sliding guide structure.
Preferably in this embodiment the inside dimensions of the introduction opening are matched to the outside dimensions of the introduction portion in such a way that the aperture can be introduced into the extinguishing fluid nozzle in the direction of the longitudinal axis by being pushed. The expression “inside dimensions” is used to denote the dimensions in the longitudinal and transverse direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle. That embodiment, after introduction of the aperture or prior to removal of the aperture, admittedly entails fixing of the aperture by means of closure of the hitherto “open” end of the introduction opening. In exchange however the comparatively smaller introduction opening, in a direction transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the extinguishing fluid nozzle, already affords a safeguard against unwanted lateral removal of the aperture.
Preferably the aperture is secured in the introduced condition by means of a nut screwed on the outside on to the main body or the nozzle head. Further preferably provided at the height of the aperture (with respect to the longitudinal direction of the extinguishing fluid nozzle) is a clamping element, for example in the form of a clamping ring, which embraces the main body or the nozzle head and additionally secures the aperture to prevent rotation thereof. Particularly preferably the aperture has one or more recesses matched to the clamping element, into which the clamping element extends. The foregoing design configurations are particularly preferred in relation to an extinguishing fluid nozzle system in which the nozzle head and the main body are in one piece. It is however also possible for the nozzle head and the main body to be of a multi-part nature.
In a preferred configuration the nozzle head is reversibly releasably coupled to the main body, preferably by means of a screw connection, wherein the aperture in the introduced condition thereof is connected to the main body in force-locking and/or positively locking relationship, preferably by means of screwing the nozzle head to the main body. The term reversible releasability is used in that respect to mean in particular that it is possible to carry out a number of separations and re-connections of the connecting means in non-destructive fashion.
In a preferred configuration of the extinguishing fluid nozzle system according to the disclosure, as indicated above, arranged on the grip portion on at least one surface and preferably on two opposite surfaces is a respective identification element, in particular selected from the list consisting of: an optically and/or haptically perceptible identification element, a machine-readable identification element or combinations thereof. Examples of optically and/or haptically perceptible identification elements are for example printed markings, inscriptions, engravings, embossings, stamped-out markings or milled-out markings and application of material. Examples of machine-readable identification elements are for example barcodes, RFID tags or the like encoded information. The identification elements can be applied for example using fluorescent or phosphorescent dyes to improve readability.
The disclosure will be described by means of the foregoing preferred embodiments of the overall system with reference to the interplay between the extinguishing fluid nozzle and the aperture member fitted therein. The disclosure is reflected however not just in the system comprising the combination of those elements, but also in the two individual elements.
In a further aspect the disclosure thus concerns an aperture for an extinguishing fluid nozzle, in particular an extinguishing gas nozzle for stationary fire extinguishing systems, in a system according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments, with an aperture ring for flow limitation, which can be arranged in a fluid path between an inlet opening and one or more outlet openings of the extinguishing fluid nozzle, wherein the aperture has a grip portion which is fixedly connected to the aperture ring and which extends outwardly from the aperture ring and which in the fitted condition of the aperture extends outside the extinguishing fluid nozzle. The aperture is preferably developed in accordance with the above-described configurations relating to the extinguishing fluid nozzle system, for which reason in this respect attention is directed in their full entirety to the foregoing description.
In a further aspect the disclosure therefore also concerns an extinguishing fluid nozzle, in particular an extinguishing gas nozzle for an extinguishing fluid nozzle system, according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments, in particular comprising a main body which has an inlet opening and which can be fixed in fluid-conducting relationship to an extinguishing fluid line, and a nozzle head which has one or more outlet openings connected in fluid-conducting relationship to the inlet opening for discharge of the extinguishing fluid, wherein the extinguishing fluid nozzle is adapted to receive an aperture according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments, in particular comprising an aperture ring for flow limitation which can be arranged in the fluid path between the inlet opening and the one or more outlet openings, which has a grip portion which is fixedly connected to the aperture ring and which extends outwardly from the aperture ring and which in the fitted condition of the aperture extends outside the extinguishing fluid nozzle.
In regard also to the advantageous developments of the extinguishing fluid nozzle according to the disclosure reference is directed in their full entirety to the features of the above-described extinguishing fluid system according to the disclosure.